If your eyes are getting sore, uncomfortable or just very tired, it could be because lockdown means that you are spending more time looking at your computer.
There are ways to help your eyes feel more comfortable;
Take a break
Not so easy if you have back-to-back meetings on Zoom or Teams, however, this is really important and not just for your eyes. Your body isn’t meant to be in one position for hours at a time, so the advice is to take a 10-minute break away from the computer every hour. Get up, walk around, look out of the window; give your eyes and your body a break from being in that one position.
20,20,20
Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away and blink 20 times. Muscles in your eyes are used to focus on the screen, when you look in the distance, they are more relaxed and therefore working less. Blinking spreads your tears across your eyes, moisturises your eyes and gives you a clear surface to look through.
Keep blinking
As mentioned above, blinking spreads tears across your eyes. They help protect your eyes and also act as a lubricant when you blink.
The action of blinking helps your eyes produce more tears too, meaning, long term, you won’t get dry eyes.
Studies have shown that we blink once every couple of seconds when we are having a conversation with someone, however, when we look at screens, we only blink once every 15 seconds.
Therefore, get into the habit of blinking every time you click ‘enter’ or click on the mouse.
Keep hydrated
The advice is to drink 2 litres of water a day. Water keeps us hydrated and is good for brain function as well as for our eyes.
Sort out your screens
Screens should be at the same distance from you and straight ahead too. Twisting your body to look at a screen that is to the side of you will cause back and muscle problems. If you have multiple screens make sure they are the same distance away from your eyes and also at the same height. Side to side eye movements are much less tiring than up and down movements, and changing focus from one distance to another is very tiring on your eye muscles. Also, the further way they are, the less your eyes have to work, but make sure you can increase the font accordingly.
Sort out your glasses
Make sure your eye examination is up to date and that your glasses are designed for your computer distance. An anti-reflection coating is a must when using screens, it allows all the light from what you are looking at to go though the lens, rather than losing 6% in reflections.
Call Hammond and Dummer on 01908 695395 if you have any problems with your eyes or click here to book an appointment
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